Teamsters voting so far favor strike, union says

| Thursday, January 30, 2003

The
Teamsters Union said its freight members who have voted so far are
overwhelmingly authorizing a strike should contract negotiations
continue to stall, the organization said in a statement this week.

Members
of the union are now voting on whether to authorize their leaders
to start a strike against trucking carriers. Land Line reported
Jan. 23 the Teamsters would hold the strike authorization vote after
negotiations with the Motor Freight Carriers Association stalled.

The
MFCA, a national trade association representing unionized general
freight carriers such as Roadway and Yellow, and the Teamsters said
the break in talks – which the MFCA described as a “temporary recess”
– was caused by differences over wages and benefits.

Results
of the union vote are due Feb. 3. The current contract between the
carriers and the Teamsters expires March 31.